Another Bodybuilding Month

Back in 2023 I committed to a month of bodybuilding, an attempt to beat as many strength-based personal bests as I could. I made a fair bit of progress. 

Since then, I’ve stuck more to gym classes rather than my own workouts, but I’ve felt my strength improve a lot. Pump classes have given me a lot of endurance. Also since that March, Oldham Sports Centre has been upgraded, with more equipment added as time has gone on. I’ve had a dabble on a lot of new weight machines. 

I’d really like to have a good crack at these, and set some new PBs. In Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, he suggests 6 reps for the top weight. Again, I’ll split the workouts down into chest, back and leg sessions. Rest Monday, gym session Tuesday morning, gym session Tuesday evening, gym session Wednesday morning, Pump class Wednesday night, Pump class in the middle of Thursday, gym session Friday morning, Circuit class Friday night, Pump class Saturday morning. Sunday… hopefully a gym session in the middle of the day. 

No alcohol. No junk food. No protein powder, instead leaning into health snacks like nuts and dried fruit. Lots of recipes, ideally veg-heavy. If I can, I’d also like to get down to 72kg. I’m currently 81.4. Fucking fat bastard. 

That, plus the gym project itself, are 2 of my Before 44 bucket list.

Tweet for Chaos resulted in… no chaos

It’s taken me 15 days, but I’ve finished this Tweet for Chaos project. I managed to tweet out the names of individuals and businesses that I’ve seen share insane content over social media. 

I’ve been keeping tabs on people since some time during the pandemic – slightly before the beginning of the vaccine rollout, I think – lockdown critics, anti-vaxxers, zionists, Tories, Trump supporters, Christians and Chris Brown fans (the singer who beat the shit out of Rihanna and assaulted several other women). Using Twitter, I’ve named them all. 

It took 15 days. One account responded calling me a ‘dumb n-word’ (I’m white) – I reported it and it was ‘actioned accordingly.’ I’m not sure what that means because I also blocked them and forgotten who they were, so I can’t see their content. 

Stats: 

Overall page views at the start: 1,711,729 

and at the end: 1,731,926. 

So 20K page views in 2 weeks, with a big surge on the day I uploaded the introductory post. Not a huge difference compared to recent months, but what may happen is that as people start to trend on X for whatever reason, there’s a possibility that certain people might be individuals that I've named, and tweets of mine might get viewed a little more retrospectively. Not the most amazing outcome for a project. 

That’s 3 out of 8 projects complete on this Before 44 list.

Friday Morning Confidence Blast

No solid weekend plans as of yet, and the only plan I do have is for Friday morning, when I’m on leave.  

Hinterland in Manchester have yet another left-field event for people who want something a little different. If you’re also off, why not come and take a look at Fi and Alex’s Confidence Workshop? ‘A calm, well-held space to notice how confidence shows up for you, and what fixes it without pressure to fix anything or perform.’ I’ve found that some confidence sessions, ran across Greater Manchester by one outfit or another, tend to be varyingly effective. Sometimes you can come away feeling like you’ve learned something, other times... not. But Hinterland’s events are usually a positive experience, so I’m going to take a look. 

I’ve uploaded this to Manchester Psychology Social Group. It’s possible that someone out of the 300+ members might be free and fancy giving it a go.

Lane 7

Making quick progress with this Tweet for Chaos project. Nobody biting yet. Stats average. 

Played pool at Lane 7. Thankfully my opponent was almost as atrocious as me so I didn’t lose by a particularly wide margin. I’d like to get back there for the bowling and other activities. It means booking, though. I’m wondering if a weeknight might be ideal. Possibly a meetup.

 

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Applying the 48 Laws of Power

In 1998 Publishing expert Robert Greene wrote The 48 Laws of Power, his debut non-fiction book. Based on decades of research and his background in classical studies, Greene identified 48 laws that allowed people to access power – be it financial, political or social. Compiling these, he created the book, which – under publishers Joost Elffers – sold over 5.5 million copies. 

I read it during lockdown in 2020. A fascinating compilation of stories and explanations, The 48 Laws of Power uses real-life historical examples of these laws, what happens when people apply them correctly, and what befalls them when they don’t. 

It’s a book that pops back into my mind every now and then, either because of something I’ve done, or because of the actions of someone else. I can think of at least one former manager who I’m pretty sure must have read it. These real-life instances tie into at least 1 law from within the book. The older I get, the more I seem to encounter incidents that remind me of those laws, either because the instance backs up one of the laws, or it didn’t, and people suffered as a result. 

Over the next year, I’m going to attempt to analyse each law, one at a time, not necessarily in order, and apply it to something contemporary – a news story, personal past experience, etc etc. Expect these as part of the #psychologysaturday theme.

Tasty Tuesday Tomorrow

On leave today to catch up on jobs and get through this Tweet for Chaos project. 

Late notice meetup: tomorrow night, Manchester jazz club Matt & Phreds host their weekly Tasty Tuesday night. ‘HAPPY HOUR 6-11PM,’ their website shouts. ‘That means buy 2 drinks and get a whole FREE PIZZA or get 2 house cocktails for just £15!’ I’m all over that. Jazz trio Svarc Hanley Longhorn take the stage. Never heard of them, but I like fresh ideas, so here we are! 

Nothing planned for the weekend other than a thing with friends. More in the upcoming weeks.

Chinese New Year in Manchester

Steadily working through this Tweet for Chaos project. Nobody biting yet. Steady progress. 

Lots to do away from social media. Visited new fast food place Burgerism in Piccadilly Gardens. Fancy, but familiar.

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Also got to Insomnia Cookies at last.

Insomnia Cookies. Cross St Manchester. Treat.

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— Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey.bsky.social) 15 February 2026 at 19:59

 

Saw part of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Manchester.

Chinese New Year in Manchester last night

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— Matt Tuckey 🇬🇧 (@matttuckey.bsky.social) 15 February 2026 at 20:22